1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a starting device for starting software application with a mobile operating system (OS), and, more particularly, to a method of starting software applications installed on the ANDROID OS in a multi-window mode and to a device using the starting method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commonly used mobile OSs in the current market can be classified into either multi-tasking type or single-tasking type. A single-tasking OS in a single-tasking platform, such as iPhone®, allows users to run one application (App) at a time, while a multi-tasking OS in a multi-tasking platform, such as the Android OS, allows users to run multiple applications simultaneously.
As each ANDROID OS has a kernel, which is developed based on Linux and provides basic functions of OS, development of Apps running on the ANDROID OS becomes the job of app developers. System manufacturers and app developers can adaptively build mobile devices equipped with the ANDROID OS tailored to different market demands. With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, a conventional ANDROID OS has a default system screen 90. The system screen 90 has a status bar 91 on a bottom of the system screen 90. The status bar 91 has a notification area 92 and multiple command icons. The notification area 92 is located on one end of the status bar 91 and serves to display current time and remaining power of a mobile device equipped with the ANDROID OS. The command icons are arranged on the other end of the status bar 91. The default command icons available to current ANDROID OS are a back button 93, a home button 94, and a recent app listing button 95.
The back button 93 is clicked for the ANDROID OS to return to a previous screen. The home button 94 is clicked for the system to go back to an initial system screen 90. The recent app listing button 95 is clicked to list all applications, which have been executed recently, for users to select and execute desired applications. After being selected, each started app on the system screen 90 is displayed in a full-screen mode. For certain mobile device equipped with the ANDROID OS, the status bar 91 further has a starting key 96 and an app menu 97. The starting key 96 takes the form of an up arrow initially, and is located on a center of the status bar 91. Once clicked, the starting key 96 is changed to the form of a down arrow key, the back button 93, the home button 94, and the recent app listing button 95 are hidden, and the app menu 97 is popped up on the system screen 90 and is displayed above the system bar 91. The app menu 97 sequentially lists all default applications of the system for users to conveniently and promptly select and start those applications. After being started, the applications in the app starting menu 97 are displayed in a multi-window mode.
However, except the default applications in the app menu 97, other third-party applications are unable to be incorporated into the app menu 97. In other words, except the default applications in the app menu 97, other applications should be executed under a full-screen mode. Furthermore, if intending to select and start non-default applications of the system, users need to return to a previous screen or switch to the initial system screen 90. The foregoing command icons are hidden once the app menu 97 is displayed. Hence, inconvenience arises because users must close the app menu 97 before returning to the system screen 90.